Until I read/edited this piece, I had never really given much thought to the idea that game designers might be effectively kneecapping part of their original design in an effort to drive the player towards these paid boosts/skips. That’s a sad state of affairs.

I have read some comments to the effect that “developers need to make money” in a context where development costs have increased while retail prices have remained fairly stable — although that motivation is very understandable, nickel-and-diming players clearly isn’t the best way to make additional revenue. Many developers have figured out ways of actually delivering real value beyond initial purchase, which players are willing to pay for, but which genuinely respects players’ time and doesn’t undermine game quality in the process.